Moist, tender white cake reminiscent of its buttermilk cake cousin, Red Velvet Cake, our White Velvet Layer Cake is flavored with pure almond extract and a hint of vanilla. It is iced with a truly extraordinary frosting, Strawberry-Raspberry Mascarpone Buttercream, fitting for the most special of occasions.

It’s a Virtual Baby Shower for Georgia!

This post is part of a virtual baby shower for Georgia of The Comfort of Cooking. She is expecting a baby girl in June!

Georgia is a very talented food blogger, photographer and cook. I adore her and her blog. She has always supported me as well as so many other bloggers. Georgia specializes in simple and scrumptious comfort food often with a twist. Some recipes are indulgent treats while others are lightened up classics. Her exceptional food styling never fails to capture the fresh food she makes. If you have not been to her blog, you have been really missing out!

About the Cake

It was so much fun to conceive the idea for this cake with the pink theme and carry it out. In fact, I actually accomplished something food scientist and cookbook author, Shirley Corriher, said she had tried to do in her cookbook, BakeWise.

Shirley wanted to create a layer cake that was moist and sweet enough with self-rising flour—specifically White Lily® Self-Rising Flour with impeccably even leavening distribution—because this flour creates velvety smooth cakes without those dreaded holes (due to uneven leavening distribution). Also, White Lily® Self-Rising Flour is made from Southern soft red winter wheat whereas cake flour is made from Northern hard red winter wheat. There are also gluten and protein as well as milling differences, but I am going to leave this food science bit for an upcoming post in the New Year on flours.

The even leavening distribution, and using a soft red winter wheat flour to create velvety cake layers, was important to me because I wanted to create a new classic, so-to-speak, and make it quintessentially Southern (just like Red Velvet Cake and White Lily® Flour) because Georgia’s little baby girl is and will be a Southern Belle. 🙂

Shirley gave up and went with regular cake flour because, as she stated, her cakes made with White Lily® Self-Rising Flour fell in the center. Well, I did it! The trick was getting the proper ratio of fats to work for a moist, tender, velvety crumb with no big holes—the ideal velvet layer cake.

As many skilled bakers know, whenever you use a little oil in cake batter along with either butter or shortening, it really helps the moisture factor because the oil is liquid at room temperature whereas butter and shortening are not. I definitely wanted to use butter for flavor, a good shortening for keeping the cake white in color and the oil (almond oil) for moisture. I had also tested the cake using cake flour and by splitting the liquid between buttermilk (I use organic which is very thick) and whole milk. But, using all buttermilk won out with both White Lily® Self-Rising Flour and White Lily® Bleached All-Purpose Flour. The cake also needed to be sweetened with 2 full cups of sugar to make it sweet enough—just the way Shirley would like and the way I like it.

As for the mixing technique, I chose the Two-Stage Method I learned from Rose Levy Beranbaum in her cookbook, The Cake Bible, but popularized by Cook’s Illustrated. Of course, in addition to other mixing methods, Shirley includes this method in her cookbook, BakeWise.

This method proved to be aces. Although the cake layers have a tight crumb, they are amazingly moist as well as tender, airy and light.

The reason for only 2 cups of batter per cake pan, and going with three (3) 8-inch round cake pans, was to create an easy recipe for an attractive multi-layered cake whilst eliminating the step of “torting” the cake layers by slicing them horizontally. Again, I wanted an easy no-fuss recipe for Georgia since she will be a new and very busy mom.

For me, I prefer triple layer 8-inch round cakes over double layer 9-inch round cakes because the cakes stand tall and pretty. When cut for serving, the slices are not short, squatty and elongated as with double layer 9-inch cakes or super-hefty looking as with triple layer 9-inch cakes. In addition, cakes are less likely to fall in the center, like Shirley experienced, when using 8-inch cake pans with such a delicate butter cake batter.

When Caroline of Chocolate and Carrots, and Erin of Texanerin Baking, coordinated this virtual baby shower with the theme, Think Pink!, I was happy to bake and post something special and pink, like this original recipe, for Georgia and her baby-to-be (princess-to-be?), along with everyone else participating. A special thank you to both of you, Caroline and Erin, for organizing this fun event!

Congratulations, Georgia! Wishing you and your family all the best…always!

To my readers, check out what fellow bloggers have created especially for Georgia’s Think Pink! virtual baby shower:

P.S. Due to a family emergency, I was not able to edit my photos on time for this scheduled post and will be away from my computer most of the day today. Please accept my deepest and sincerest apologies! I will get them up later today or this evening. Meanwhile, thank you for your patience and understanding. 🙂

UPDATE: The section “About the Cake” has been added as well as photos. Also, the recipe has been updated to reflect a link to the buttercream recipe as a separate component. Several helpful tips have been added in the Recipe Notes section of the recipe as well.

Description

Moist, tender white cake reminiscent of its buttermilk cake cousin, Red Velvet Cake, our White Velvet Layer Cake is flavored with pure almond extract and a hint of vanilla. It is iced with a truly extraordinary frosting, Strawberry-Raspberry Mascarpone Buttercream, fitting for the most special of occasions.

Four wire cooling racks, with the fourth being used to flip cake layers right side up

One 8-inch cardboard cake round, helpful but not necessary

Cake Turntable, such as Ateco ®, helpful but not necessary

Metal Angled or Offset Icing Spatula, such as Ateco® or Wilton®, helpful but not necessary

Metal Icing Spatula, such as Ateco® or Wilton®, helpful but not necessary

Wax paper, for lining cake plate for icing, helpful but not necessary

Piping bag, coupler and/or decorating tips, not necessary if no piping is desired

Directions

Arrange oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans with shortening or oil. Line bottoms with parchment or wax paper circles. Grease paper linings and dust lined pans with flour, tapping out the excess. Set aside.

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix self-rising flour and sugar (or flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda if using White Lily® Bleached All-Purpose Flour as indicated in Notes section below recipe) on low speed (stir) until well combined and aerated, about 1 minute. Add butter, shortening and oil and mix on slow speed until thoroughly combined. Mixture will be very thick.

In a 2-cup glass liquid measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, egg whites and extracts using a fork until well blended. Slowly add half of the liquid mixture to the batter and mix on low speed. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary with rubber spatula, about 2 minutes. Add remaining liquid mixture and beat just until smooth and thoroughly combined, again scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary, about 1 minute.

Using rubber spatula, scrape and pour batter into prepared pans dividing evenly (a little over 2 cups of batter per cake pan). Smooth tops evenly with rubber spatula and then rap each pan on counter surface 2 to 3 times to expel any air bubbles. This step will create a nice level cake.

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. (I have found that 28 minutes is perfect.) Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run thin metal spatula around edges of each cake to loosen, then invert onto wire rack and peel away parchment or wax paper. Turn right side up onto wire racks (using an additional rack to flip) and cool completely or wrap while still warm to retain moisture. Wrap each cake layer tightly in plastic food wrap and keep at room temperature until ready to fill and frost.

To frost and fill cake, use a scant ¾ cup frosting between each layer and then proceed to frost the cake as desired with remaining buttercream.

To make a Rose Cake with “Rose Swirls”

Use a scant ¾ cup frosting between each layer and then proceed to frost the cake with a “crumb coat” or thin coat, but not too thin. The cake should have good coverage and you should not see the cake peeking through the frosting.

Next, assemble your pastry bag with coupler and tip. (I like to use my Ateco No. 846 tip because it makes gorgeous swirled roses. However, you can also use an open tip like the Wilton 1M.) Fill pastry bag and twist closed. Make sure your hands are not too warm or your buttercream will get too soft. You are now ready to pipe roses!

To pipe roses, start at the bottom and work around the cake to complete a full circle of roses. To pipe each rose, start in the center of where you want your rose to be. Then pipe in a circular fashion counter-clockwise going around the center point once or twice depending on the size of roses you desire. The roses don’t need to be perfect! This is what is so great about piping swirled roses as they look lovely shabby and chic. It is best to end in the same place each time and I like to end at the top right side of each rose.

Once you complete the first row around the cake, continue with the next row and then the top. To fill in any gaps, I like to pipe small stars or flourishes that contour the rose swirls. Rose Cakes are the best. So simple, but so stunning!

To Bake Cupcakes

See specific baking directions and tips in the Notes section at the bottom below recipe.

In general, most cake batters may also be baked in standard paper bake cups in standard 12-cup muffin pans for cupcakes. Usually, a one-layer cake recipe will yield 12 to 15 cupcakes and a two-layer cake recipe will yield 24 to 30 cupcakes. Fill cups at least 2/3 full and bake at 350ºF. until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 15 to 20 minutes. (An exception to this is Wicked Good Kitchen’s Carrot Cake recipe which requires a gentle oven at 325ºF. So, be sure to bake cupcakes at the same temperature as the cake recipe requires.) Rotate pan halfway through baking time for even baking and check for doneness 5 minutes before recommended baking time in recipe. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Transfer baked cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely, about 1 hour, before frosting.

Recipe Notes

Tips:

Please note that prep and cook times are for the preparation and baking of the cake. They do not include the time needed to prepare the buttercream (or the component recipe for the sauce in the buttercream recipe) or the time for frosting, filling and piping decorations.

In general, prepare as many component recipes in advance for a stress-free day in the kitchen the day you assemble and frost the cake. I like to prepare each component in advance, with the exception of the buttercream, and then prepare the buttercream the day I assemble and frost the cake. By preparing component recipes in advance, it will assure you have enough time to chill the cake before slicing and serving.

How to Measure Flour for this Recipe: When measuring flour by volume with measuring cups, sift the flour first onto a sheet of wax paper then spoon flour lightly into cup before leveling off with a thin metal icing spatula or straight edge of a knife. This way, you should obtain approximately 112 grams of flour per cup (the same weight as cake flour) for a total of 280 grams for 2½ cups.

How to Bring Eggs to Room Temperature: Should you forget to bring your eggs to room temperature by setting them out for an hour before starting recipe, do not worry. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, fill a medium bowl with warm tap water—not hot, but warm so the eggs do not cook. Carefully place the eggs into the bowl of water so they are fully submerged. Allow eggs to soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove eggs from water and towel dry. Eggs should now be at room temperature and ready to use in recipe.

How To Properly Rap Cake Pans: Hold each pan a few inches above the counter (2 to 3 inches will do) then carefully drop pans flatly onto countertop 2 to 3 times. This step will expel any air bubbles and will ensure nice level baked cake layers.

Cake may be made 1 day in advance. Keep wrapped in plastic food wrap at room temperature overnight.

After assembling and frosting the layered cake it is best to chill it until the buttercream is firm, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Chilling, before slicing the cake, will yield neater cake slices for a better plated presentation.

Store any leftover cake covered in the refrigerator.

To Prepare Cupcakes: Arrange oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350º F. Line standard 12-cup muffin pan with standard paper bake cups. Divide batter evenly among 24 muffin cups (baked in two batches), filling each cup 2/3 to 3/4 full. Filling batter two-thirds full will yield more cupcakes with the cupcake batter baked just to the top of each paper bake cup. Filling batter three-quarters full will yield fewer cupcakes with the cupcake batter baked just slightly over the top of each paper bake cup.

Bake cupcakes in preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 16 to 18 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through baking time for even baking. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Transfer baked cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely, about 1 hour, before frosting. Yield: Makes 24 to 30 cupcakes.

Note: These cupcakes will puff up considerably during baking but then settle down into a level top at the end of baking versus a domed top. Leftover cupcakes can be frozen and stored up to 3 months if wrapped tightly in plastic food wrap and stored in heavy-duty freezer bags. As always, label and date the bag.

About Stacy

Stacy Bryce is a recipe developer and member of the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals). Her passion is developing original conventional baking recipes as well as special diet recipes to include dairy-free, gluten-free and grain-free. You can follow Stacy at Pinterest.

Oh no. I’m sorry to read that there’s a family emergency. 🙁 I hope everything will be okay! Please don’t worry about getting the pictures up. I’m sure we all can understand you have much more important stuff going on!

That said, I’ve been looking forward to seeing this cake! Sounds like the best cake EVER. 😀

Thank you for the very sweet words and understanding, Erin. Also, thank you for the invite to participate in Georgia’s surprise virtual baby shower. I enjoyed contributing and feel incredibly bad about running out of time to edit my photos before I had to head out-of-state early the morning of the shower to help my family. Wishing you and yours all the best this holiday season!

Don’t feel bad! I’m (and I guess everyone else here!) was just worried about you and the family emergency thing had us even more worried. I’m so happy that you’re back to blogging and are feeling better. 🙂

This cake is perhaps the prettiest cake ever. Honestly. You must have worked so hard on it!

Thank you for the kind words concerning me and my family, my friend! It was a rough time. And, yes…I am feeling much better after becoming so sick after visiting my family out-of-state. I appreciate your thoughtfulness more than you know. 🙂

Also, thank you for the compliments on the cake. The recipe is much easier than you think! Super simple to decorate as well. So, it is rather deceiving that way. 😉

As for the cake recipe itself, I developed the recipe early in the year for future cakes on the blog to match all the buttercreams posted. When I saw the invite to participate in the shower (just 2 weeks prior), I threw my hat into the ring knowing exactly which cake to make. Then, I created a berry and mascarpone cheese version of my Best Ever Cream Cheese Buttercream especially for Georgia because she is Italian. It is an easy buttercream to make—just perfect for a busy new mom. In addition, the recipe is all-natural (no artificial food coloring) should she decide to make this cake for her sweet pea for birthday celebrations.

Thank you for the well wishes, too, my friend. I am beyond ecstatic to be back blogging again!

Thanks again for the invite, Erin. 🙂 Wishing you and yours all the best in the New Year!

I couldn’t find the actual recipe. Would you please send it to me. It looks wonderful and I can’t wait to make it. Also, half the page is blocked with the plaid ribbon on the right. Maybe it’s my phone tho. Sorry for the trouble. Thank you Maria

Stacysays

Hi there, Maria! Thank you for writing. I’m sorry you are having trouble reading the recipe on your mobile device. On my wish list for my coding expert is to make my blog compatible with mobile and tablet devices. Absolutely. I will email you a copy of recipe. Thanks again for writing and have a good weekend!

I hope your family is okay. I can’t wait to see the photos when you do post them because the cake sounds divine! I have some lingering marscapone cheese in the fridge that is on it’s last leg so I might just have to whip up your icing up there and probably just eat it off the spoon. 😉 Just kidding #notreallyLindsey @ American Heritage Cooking recently posted…Easy Caramelized Onions

Thank you for the kind and thoughtful words, Linds. I truly appreciate them…more than you could ever know. Hoping you are enjoying your holidays and vacation. 🙂 Warmest wishes to you and yours for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015!

Thank you for the kind and thoughtful words, my friend! This pink dessert is definitely you! Wishing you and your family all the best this holiday season and for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Stacy, I’m so sorry to hear that you’re experiencing a family emergency. You and your family are in my thoughts! But thank you so much for sharing this wonderful layer cake for my virtual shower. ♥ It means so much to me that you were a part of this special surprise!Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking recently posted…Proscuitto, Arugula and Tomato Naan Pizza

Thank you for the warm and very kind thoughts for me and my family, Georgia! They are greatly appreciated. 🙂 It was my pleasure to participate in this special surprise. I developed this cake at the start of the year when I was posting all of my buttercream recipes. It will be the base for many cakes to come here on the blog. My hope is that you will love the cake enough to make it for your sweet baby girl, Lily, for her first birthday. In developing the recipe, I wanted the cake to be quintessentially Southern and easy-peasy for quick assembly. The cake pulls together in a matter of minutes using the Two-Stage method of mixing, the cream cheese buttercream whips up in a snap and the decorating couldn’t be faster, easier or more impressive with the Rose Swirl piping technique. The only real prep necessary in advance is the Strawberry-Raspberry Sauce made from fresh raspberries and strawberries. But, it cooks up rather quickly. Also, all of the ingredients are all-natural for your little sweet pea. Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Sorry to hear that you have a family emergency! I agree with Shashi, we don’t need pictures to know how delicious the cake is! The buttercream sounds amazing and white velvet cake is my all time favorite! I know this cake would be a winner with me!Jenn @ Once Upon a Tier recently posted…My Narwhal Birthday Cake

Thank you for the kind and thoughtful words, my sweet baking friend! You are going to love this version of White Velvet Layer Cake! It is truly divine. Best wishes to you and yours, Jenn, for a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015! xo

It isn’t a party without a beautiful layer cake! Even though you weren’t able to post pictures, I know for sure it’s a real stunner just by the name!Meriem @ Culinary Couture recently posted…Strawberry Lemonade Bars

I will be thinking of you today, sweet Stacy! Hoping everything will be okay!
The cake sounds absolutely amazing! Your cakes are always gorgeous and I know this one is too!
xoxoAnna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet recently posted…Strawberry Swirl Sour Cream Bars Recipe

The words in the title alone are enough to make me crave a slice of this cake. Sounds perfect! Hope everything’s okay with your family.Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic recently posted…Boston Pizza Tour and Other Good Eats

Thank you for writing and for thinking of me, Jeanette. This past spring, summer and fall was a complete nightmare. After helping out my family out-of-state, I returned home and experienced recurrent allergic reactions and we couldn’t figure out why or from what. I am doing infinitely better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form, DAO, or diamine oxidase) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am ELATED to be back blogging and will be sharing my story on the blog to help others. HAPPY HOLIDAYS, my friend!

This cake sounds so delicious, Stacy! I love red velvet, and I love the idea of making a white velvet rendition. The strawberry raspberry sauce mixed into that mascarpone frosting sounds heavenly! I just love Georgia’s blog, and know she’s going to make one great mom! Have a lovely weekend, my friend!marcie recently posted…Homemade Nutella

I hope everything is okay on your end. “Sending you good vibrations. The recipe sounds simply
marvelous, darling. I love the name—White Velvet layer Cake. Then the pink for a baby girl.
It’s just too sweet and loving!Carol at Wild Goose Tea recently posted…Mama Goose Honks for Mamas

Thank you for the good vibrations, Carol! They worked. This past spring, summer and fall was a complete nightmare. After helping out my family out-of-state, I returned home and experienced recurrent allergic reactions and we couldn’t figure out why or from what. I am doing much, much better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form, DAO) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am ECSTATIC to be back blogging and will be sharing my story on the blog to help others. Meanwhile… HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Wow, Stacy, this cake sounds amazing! Can’t wait to see the photos – will be pinning them for sure! It made me smile that you posted a recipe without photos – my life keeps me pretty busy lately too. You might have noticed – I went almost a month without posting anything and then I posted 5 recipes in a row, almost daily, to compensate. 🙂 Now, I am trying to catch up with commenting on my friends’ blogs or just blogs I enjoy!Julia | JuliasAlbum.com recently posted…Pineapple mango salsa

Dear Stacy, we sincerely hope that is all well with you and your family! This delicious velvet cake just went to heaven with your decadent strawberry & raspberry macarpone cream! We can just imagine how beautiful your photos will be to this sweet tribute to Georgina’s Baby 🙂

First, this cake sounds incredible. I love any excuse to use mascarpone. But more importantly, I hope all is well with you and your family. Sending warm thoughts your way!Jamie@Milk ‘n’ Cookies recently posted…Funfetti Cupcakes

Thank you for writing and for thinking of me, my sweet friend! You are very kind. This past spring, summer and fall was a complete nightmare. After helping out my family out-of-state, I returned home and experienced recurrent allergic reactions and we couldn’t figure out why or from what. I am doing much better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am so happy to be back blogging! Meanwhile, best wishes to you and yours for a joyous holiday season and happy New Year!

This cake sounds wonderful and I can only imagine how gorgeous it looks. I’m so sorry to hear about your family emergency Stacy – hope everything is okay and will be keeping you and your family in my thoughts. xoxo

Thank you, sweet Kelly! I appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness. This past spring, summer and fall was a complete nightmare. After helping out my family out-of-state, I returned home and experienced recurrent allergic reactions and we couldn’t figure out why or from what. I am doing much better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form, DAO) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am ELATED to be back blogging and will be sharing my story on the blog to help others. Wishing you and yours a holiday season filled with joy and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015! xoxo

Thank you for writing and for thinking of me, sweet Julie! I greatly appreciate your kindness, thoughtfulness and support. 🙂 As you now know, I had experienced recurrent allergic reactions that we couldn’t figure out why or from what. I am doing even better now following our emails after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form) that balances histamine in our digestive tract and had the opportunity to test it out on Christmas Eve and, yesterday, on Christmas Day. The enzyme (DAO) is working to prevent the horrific allergic reactions. I am SO HAPPY to be back blogging and will be sharing my story on the blog to help others. Meanwhile, wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Thank you for writing and for thinking of me, sweet Nora! I greatly appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness. This past spring, summer and fall was a complete nightmare. After helping out my family out-of-state, I returned home and experienced recurrent allergic reactions and we couldn’t figure out why or from what. I am doing much better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am beyond elated to be back blogging! Meanwhile, wishing you and yours the very best this holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

I hope everything’s okay! I check back every now and then and am kind of worried now that it’s been two weeks. 🙁 Sending you positive thoughts!Erin @ Texanerin Baking recently posted…Strawberry Oat Bars (100% whole grain)

Thank you for writing and for the positive thoughts! They worked. I appreciate your kindness and support more than you know, Erin. Best wishes to you and your family this holiday season and in the New Year!

Aww…thank you for writing, Sam! You are so very kind. This past spring, summer and fall was a complete nightmare. After helping out my family out-of-state, I returned home and experienced recurrent allergic reactions and we couldn’t figure out why or from what. I am doing much better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am beyond happy to be back blogging and will be sharing my story on the blog to help others. Meanwhile, I hope your holidays are wonderful! Best wishes to you and yours for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Thank you for writing and for checking in on me, sweet Meghan! This past spring, summer and fall was a complete nightmare. After helping out my family out-of-state, I returned home and experienced recurrent allergic reactions. We couldn’t figure out why and from what. I am doing much better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am so happy to be back blogging! Wishing you and yours all the best this holiday season and in the New Year! xx

Dear Stacy, you haven’t posted in a while, and I was just wondering if everything is OK? Please let us know – I am sure quite a few of us who know you through your blog are a little worried. 🙂 I also emailed you but maybe you’re not checking your emails (I am very guilty of that! 🙂 )Julia | JuliasAlbum.com recently posted…Mexican chicken wraps

Thank you for writing and thinking of me, my friend. This past spring, summer and fall was a complete nightmare. After helping out my family out-of-state, I returned home and experienced recurrent allergic reactions and we couldn’t figure out why or from what. I am doing much better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am so happy to be back blogging! And, I am looking forward to sharing my story on the blog to help others. Meanwhile, best wishes to you and yours this holiday season and for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! 🙂

Hi Stacy dear. Just came back from my blogging hiatus and stopped by to check how you were. I’m really sorry to read about the emergency. I hope everything’s alright and back to normal as soon as possible. Best wishes and hugs to you and your family.
Keeping you all in my thoughts.
xxxxConsuelo – Honey & Figs recently posted…Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Ice Cream

Thank you for thinking of me, Consuelo! You are very kind, my friend. This past spring, summer and fall was a complete nightmare. After helping out my family out-of-state, I returned home and experienced recurrent allergic reactions. We just couldn’t figure out why or from what. I am doing much better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am so happy to be back blogging! Thanks again for stopping by. Meanwhile, wishing you and yours all the best this holiday season and in the New Year!

Thank you for writing and thinking of me, Ali! You are so kind and thoughtful. This past spring, summer and fall was a complete nightmare. After helping out my family out-of-state, I returned home and experienced recurrent allergic reactions that we couldn’t figure out why or from what. I am doing much better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am so happy to be back blogging and will be sharing my story on the blog to help others. Meanwhile, wishing you and yours the very best this holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015!

Thank you for thinking of me, Serena! You are very sweet. This past spring, summer and fall, I experienced recurrent allergic reactions and we couldn’t figure out why or from what. I am doing much better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am so happy to be back blogging! Thanks again for dropping by and for checking in on me. Meanwhile, wishing you and your sweet family all the best this holiday season and in the New Year!

Thank you for thinking of me and sending love, Jessica! You are so kind and thoughtful, my friend. I am beyond happy to be back blogging again after being ill. Thanks again for dropping by and… HAPPY HOLIDAYS! xx

I am looking forward to the pic of the white velvet layer cake. I had to order the Mascarpone cheese, our grocery does not carry it. I plan on making this for a fund raiser “deserts by design” I would like to see if mine looks like it is suppose to

I made this for my fund raiser. Even tho it was good, I feel the cake could have saved a lot of work & expense with a cake mix…sorry, that’s the way I feel, there wasn’t a different in taste. When I make a cake mix, I add almond so it tasted similar. The frosting was very good. I decorated with extra raspberries and drizzled chocolate on top of the cake and on the plates. IT WAS VERY PRETTY.
Thank you for the recipe 🙂

Thank you, Colette! I am back blogging again following a terrible illness and have updated the post. The update includes “About the Cake” in the article, photos have been added and the recipe has been updated to reflect a link to the buttercream recipe as a separate component. Several helpful tips have been added to the recipe as well. Happy Holidays!

Oh my, I have been away from blogging since mid-May, due to a car accident, surgery and then a home remodeling project that is now in full swing. and am only now just visiting old friends. I see that you too have taken some time off. I hope that things are alright with you. I saw your note about a family emergency. You are in my thoughts, and I sincerely hope you are well, and that you will be back blogging very soon.Adri recently posted…Averna, 2 Homes and an Army of Workmen

Oh, Adri! I am so sorry to hear about your challenging summer and that you were in a car accident. I’m so glad that you are OK! Thank you for thinking of me, my friend. This past spring, summer and fall was a complete nightmare. After helping out my family out-of-state, I returned home and experienced recurrent allergic reactions and we couldn’t figure out why and from what. I am doing much better now after discovering an important enzyme (available in supplement form) that balances histamine in our digestive tract. I am so happy to be back blogging and will be sharing my story on the blog to help others. Meanwhile, wishing you and yours the very best this holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Love your site……but was wondering if all is well….I haven’t seen any new post from you for a couple of months. I was looking for a recipe called Brandy & Tangerine-Glazed Roasted Turkey that you mentioned in the post you did on brining. If you or anyone else that sees this please reply as to where it is located.

Hi there, Lavonda! Thank you for being so kind and thoughtful in writing. I have been out the past several months due to an illness. But, I hope to return to blogging soon. Right now, I am aiming for the Monday before Thanksgiving. (I have missed it so much!) The recipe for Brandy & Tangerine-Glazed Roasted Turkey is one that I am currently finishing work on. I wish the recipe could have been posted sooner for you. If you would like, I can send you an email with a link to the recipe when the post goes live. Once again, thank you for writing. I truly appreciate it. Meanwhile, I wish you and yours a very happy and meaningful Thanksgiving Day! 🙂

Hi Stacy, you came to mind today so I decided to pop over. I’m so sorry that you’ve been ill but I hope and pray that you are recovering fully and will be back soon! 🙂Laura (Tutti Dolci) recently posted…dipped chocolate peppermint cookies

Thank you, Laura! I greatly appreciate you stopping by and checking in on me. This past year has been a major challenge in trying to find out why I was so ill and had recurrent allergic reactions. Believe me when I say that I am beyond elated to be back blogging. Thank you for thinking of me, my friend. You are the sweetest! 🙂 Hoping your holidays are wonderful and that the New Year brings you and your family many blessings! xo

Oh, my word, this looks like the most tender delicious cake EVER Stacy, it was worth waiting 9 months for! So glad to see you back!Chris @ The Café Sucré Farine recently posted…Festive, Fun and Easy Appetizers

Hi there, Erin! I will be testing this cake recipe as cupcakes this coming week. So, stay tuned and I will update the recipe in the Notes section with the baking directions and how many cupcakes the cake batter will yield. Thanks so much for writing, my friend. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

My pleasure. I was finally able to squeeze in time to bake and test the cupcakes as well as update the recipe. I hope that I am not too late and that you can bake the cupcakes today for this evening. This cake batter bakes up lovely, sophisticated little cupcakes with level tops and delightful crispy golden rings around the edges. The crumb is tight with no large holes (my husband calls hole-y cakes “termite cakes”, LOL!) while still tender, light and fluffy. The flavor is divine. Although I have updated the recipe, please find the information below as well for your convenience. Enjoy! Meanwhile, have a fabulous Super Bowl Sunday Birthday Bash for Mom! 🙂

To Prepare White Velvet Cupcakes: Arrange oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350º F. Line standard 12-cup muffin pan with standard paper bake cups. Divide batter evenly among 24 muffin cups (baked in two batches), filling each cup 2/3 to 3/4 full. Filling batter two-thirds full will yield more cupcakes with the cupcake batter baked just to the top of each paper bake cup. Filling batter three-quarters full will yield fewer cupcakes with the cupcake batter baked just slightly over the top of each paper bake cup.

Bake cupcakes in preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 16 to 18 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through baking time for even baking. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Transfer baked cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely, about 1 hour, before frosting. Yield: Makes 24 to 30 cupcakes.

Note: These cupcakes will puff up considerably during baking but then settle down into a level top at the end of baking versus a domed top. Leftover cupcakes can be frozen and stored up to 3 months if wrapped tightly in plastic food wrap and stored in heavy-duty freezer bags. As always, label and date the bag.

Ohlala ! just found that recipe on Pinterest… the pictures are just gorgeous ! I have never had Red Velvet Cake, maybe I’ll try this “cousin” first…. looks like a lot of work tho…
but woaw !
thanks for sharing this drooling masterpiece (and thanks too for the many explanations, not being an expert in cooking, I like detailed recipes !

Hi Stacy! I’m looking for a recipe to make a cake for my daughter’s first birthday. I think I’ve found it! This cake looks amazing. I love how the cake has a nice, tight crumb but delicate as well. I was reading through the the recipe and saw that it calls for White Lily Self-rising flour. Can I use another brand of self-rising flour? I’m not from the south. I’m not sure if I can find it. It also calls for organic palm shortening. I’ve never seen it before. Will regular vegetable shortening work too? Thank you very much!

1) It is important to use a self-rising flour that is made of soft red winter wheat like White Lily® brand if you will be substituting and not hard red winter wheat. What makes this cake have that nice crumb is the type of wheat as well as how it is milled. I’m sorry that White Lily® Self-Rising Flour is not available in your area. However, please know that you have the option to order it online direct at Smucker’s Online Store, but you will need to plan around 2 weeks before delivery. After following the link, you will see in the left side bar a list of popular brands in alphabetical order. At the very bottom, you will find White Lily®. Click on it and it will take you to the product page where you can select the White Lily® Flour & Cornmeal Mix 2-Pack or 4-Pack. There is always Amazon.com as well.

2) Organic palm shortening is much healthier for us than regular vegetable shortening and I used it in my home for baking and cooking. But, you should be able to substitute with Crisco® Vegetable Shortening with no trouble. Just know that I have not tested the recipe using it.

Georgina, thanks again for writing. I hope that I have answered your questions thoroughly and completely. Meanwhile, happy baking for your sweet pea who is turning 1! 🙂

Thank you so much for answering my questions. You are most helpful. Your love for baking is evident. You like to share you passion with everyone else. I will try to get hold of the White Lily flour. I’m eager to try this recipe.

My pleasure, Georgina! I appreciate your kind words and wish you luck in obtaining While Lily flour. It is fabulous for cakes and, in my humble opinion, under-rated. Thanks for stopping by and happy cake baking!

I absolutely adored your photos and in-depth description for the white velvet cake! Stunning! I cannot get White Lily where I love- we do have Martha White bleached self rising. Can I substitute? I really would love to try the recipe for an upcoming birthday celebration! Thank you!

To answer your important question… Yes, you may substitute the brand Martha White® Bleached Self-Rising Flour for White Lily® Bleached Self-Rising Flour. They can be used pretty much interchangeably. The reason you can, with near identical results, is that both flours are milled from soft Southern wheat.

However, do take note that Martha White® Self-Rising Flour contains slightly more protein at 9.4% whereas White Lily® Self-Rising Flour contains between 8 to 9%. This is the reason I prefer using White Lily® as it provides for the lightest crumb. In addition, there could be slight differences in the amount of leavening for rise. Since I have not tested this recipe using Martha White® Bleached Self-Rising Flour, I cannot guarantee identical results.

You do have the option to order White Lily® flours direct online at Smucker’s Online Store, but you will need to plan around 2 weeks before delivery.

If your timeline will not accommodate ordering online, you can always test this recipe yourself using Martha White® Self-Rising Flour with a trial cake before the birthday celebration to see if it will meet your expectations.

Once again, thank you for writing. I hope that I have answered your question thoroughly and completely.

Thank you, Sara! You made me smile. 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoy reading my blog. My pleasure. I do my very best to reply within 24 to 48 hours, but I was away from the blog for about 8 months when I was sick (due to a new allergy we had trouble figuring out). I am still backed up with summer and fall inquiries from last year. But I am getting there, slowly but surely. Thanks for bookmarking me! Many more cakes are coming to the blog. Enjoy the end of your week and the upcoming weekend!

Hi there, Darcy! Thank you for writing. Yes, my blog is not mobile or tablet friendly…yet. I am working on a major coding change for compatibility. Meanwhile, I will send you the recipes via email. There are three (3) recipe components for the cake, so look for them in your email box. Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Hi again, Linda! Well, as you guessed, I actually do have several velvet layer cakes coming soon to the blog to include a Chocolate Velvet Layer Cake. It is sublime! The chocolate flavor is divine and the crumb is perfect (not too loose or too dense). The cake is light and airy while still being incredibly moist and bakes up nice and evenly, too. My husband begged me to take the final test cake (frosted with our Chocolate Fudge Silk Buttercream) to work with him. 🙂 I may get the recipe posted next week. If not, it will be posted right after the Easter holiday. Meanwhile, I’m trying to squeeze in some Easter treats next week. Thanks for writing and enjoy the rest of your week!

Thank you for the compliments and for featuring 2 of my cakes in your cake recipe roundup, Sinea! I don’t know if you realized that there were two…with the inclusion of the Pink Champagne Cake. I am so honored! Thanks again and have a fabulous week!

Hi Kate! Thank you for writing with such a good question. Please know that you will not have the same results with this cake when replacing part of the fat, shortening, for all butter in this recipe. The reason is because this recipe was carefully formulated to achieve a buttery flavor (therefore, the butter), a white appearance (therefore, the shortening) and a moist crumb (therefore, the oil). With butter, it is only 81% fat and the rest is moisture and proteins from the milk (cream). If you wish, and do not want to place an order for the shortening, I would suggest that you might test this recipe for yourself using all butter. Give it the ol’ test run and see how it goes. You might want to reduce the buttermilk slightly (due to the milk or cream in the butter) and add a little bit more oil, about 1 to 2 teaspoons. That might do the trick, but please know that I have never tested this. Let me know how it goes if you test this by adapting the recipe using all butter. Good luck and happy baking! 🙂

Thanks Stacy – once again you have provided amazing feedback. I might give it a go with your suggestions – if I do ill be sure to let you know how it turns out.
Otherwise, as I said in my other post – ill purchase the palm shortening and make it – even if just to compare 🙂
Many Thanks xx

Hi Stacy! This cake sounds wonderful and I would like to make it for my daughter’s birthday next week. The only thing is I can’t use the almond extract due to allergies. Should I just use more vanilla or is there another non-nut extract I could use? Thanks!! Jen

Hi there, Jen! Thank you for writing with such a good question. You can easily leave out the pure almond extract for this buttercream, but I would go ahead and add extra vanilla (in place of the almond extract) in the cake recipe. I have found that if I add more vanilla to the buttercream, it can not only overpower or blunt the flavor of the berries but also make the buttercream pink color look more “dusty pink” and not as attractive. Believe me, I have tried the buttercream both ways. Just let the pure berry color and flavors shine by not adding more vanilla and you will be golden. 🙂 Thanks again for writing and I hope that I have answered your question thoroughly and completely. Meanwhile, Happy Birthday to your daughter!

Hi there, Kelsie! Thank you for writing with such a great question. When adding a strong and wonderfully flavorful extract such as Fiori di Sicilia to recipes, and especially buttercream frosting recipes that are not baked, I would start off with just 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon and then do a taste test before adding more to taste. This is important so the flavor of the berries are not clouded over. I think “The Flowers of Sicily” extract would be a wonderful flavor addition to this particular berry buttercream recipe. You have excellent instincts as a baker. 🙂 Such a fabulous idea! I hope that I have answered your question thoroughly, Kelsie. Thanks again for dropping by and… Happy baking!

[…] White Velvet Layer Cake with Strawberry-Raspberry Mascarpone Buttercream First of all, what a gorgeous dessert! Mine won’t be anywhere near that pretty but I bet it will taste amazing! And second, with a name like “Wicked Good Kitchen”, this website has to be good. (If you’re from Maine like I am, you’ll get that.) […]

Welcome to My Kitchen

My name is Stacy. I'm a recipe developer, food writer, baker and member of the IACP. I love to concoct tasty baked creations to share with others—both traditional and gluten-free. Welcome to my Wicked Good Kitchen!